Bill Text: NJ AR144 | 2024-2025 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Urges Major League Baseball to adopt Negro Leagues Day on May 2 of each year.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 2-0)
Status: (Introduced) 2024-06-17 - Introduced, Referred to Assembly State and Local Government Committee [AR144 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2024-AR144-Introduced.html
Sponsored by:
Assemblyman JOHN V. AZZARITI JR., M.D.
District 39 (Bergen)
Assemblywoman SHANIQUE SPEIGHT
District 29 (Essex and Hudson)
Co-Sponsored by:
Assemblywoman Reynolds-Jackson
SYNOPSIS
Urges Major League Baseball to adopt Negro Leagues Day on May 2 of each year.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Assembly Resolution urging Major League Baseball to adopt a Negro Leagues Day on May 2 of each year.
Whereas, Even though African-Americans were excluded from playing in the Major Leagues of their time with their white counterparts, the desire of many African-Americans to play baseball could not be repressed; and
Whereas, Major League Baseball did not fully integrate its leagues until July 1959; and
Whereas, African-Americans began organizing their own professional baseball teams in 1885; and
Whereas, Seven separate baseball leagues, known collectively as the "Negro Baseball Leagues," were organized by African-Americans between 1920 and 1960; and
Whereas, On May 2, 1920, the Negro National League, the first successful Negro League, played its first game; and
Whereas, The talents of players such as Josh Gibson, James "Cool Papa" Bell, and Oscar Charleston earned numerous Negro Leagues players recognition in the Baseball Hall of Fame and the Sporting News List of Baseball's Greatest Players; and
Whereas, Statistics from over 2,300 players who competed from 1920 to 1948 in the Negro Leagues were incorporated into Major League Baseball history in 2024; and
Whereas, With the integration of Negro Leagues statistics, many players from the Negro Leagues have taken their rightful place as leaders in various categories of baseball statistics; and
Whereas, New Jersey has been at the forefront of several contributions to the Negro Leagues, including being home to the Newark Eagles and hosting various games across the State played by National Baseball Hall of Fame players Josh Gibson, Roy Campanella, Satchel Paige, James "Cool Papa" Bell, Buck Leonard, Martin Dihigo, Oscar Charleston, Leon Day, Larry Doby, Roy Dandridge, Judy Johnson, Mule Suttles, and Willie Wells; and
Whereas, Under the ownership of Effa Manley, who is the only woman inducted in the National Baseball Hall of Fame, and Abe Manley, the Newark Eagles played from 1936 to 1948 and won the Negro World Series in 1946; and
Whereas, A plaque was placed at Memorial Field in Belmar, New Jersey to commemorate Josh Gibson's "legendary 600-foot home run that reached the backyard of the Belmar Post Office," which is considered the longest home run ever witnessed; and
Whereas,
Since the first game of the National Negro Baseball League that was played on
May 2, 1920, the Negro Leagues positively impacted the sport of baseball and, by
achieving success on the baseball field, African-American baseball players
helped break down color barriers and integrate African-Americans into all
aspects of society in the United States; now, therefore,
Be It Resolved by the General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. This House respectfully urges Major League Baseball to adopt a Negro Leagues Day across baseball to be recognized on May 2 of each year.
2. Copies of this resolution, as filed with the Secretary of State, shall be transmitted by the Clerk of the General Assembly to the Commissioner of Major League Baseball, the President of the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum, and the President of the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum.
STATEMENT
This resolution urges Major League Baseball to adopt a Negro Leagues Day across baseball to be recognized on May 2 of each year.
Even though African-Americans were excluded from playing in the Major Leagues of their time with their white counterparts until Major League Baseball fully integrated its leagues in 1959, the desire of many African-Americans to play baseball could not be repressed. African-Americans began organizing their own professional baseball teams in 1885 and seven separate baseball leagues, known collectively as the "Negro Baseball Leagues," were organized by African-Americans between 1920 and 1960. On May 2, 1920, the Negro National League, the first successful Negro League, played its first game.
The talents of players such as Josh Gibson, James "Cool Papa" Bell, and Oscar Charleston earned numerous Negro Leagues players recognition in the Baseball Hall of Fame and the Sporting News List of Baseball's Greatest Players. With the integration of Negro Leagues statistics from over 2,300 players into Major League Baseball history in 2024, these players have taken their rightful place as leaders in various categories of baseball statistics.
New Jersey has been at the forefront of several contributions to the Negro Leagues, including being home to the Newark Eagles and hosting games across the State played by various National Baseball Hall of Fame players who were part of the Negro Leagues. Under the ownership of Effa Manley, who is the only woman inducted in the National Baseball Hall of Fame, and Abe Manley, the Newark Eagles played from 1936 to 1948 and won the Negro World Series in 1946. A plaque was placed at Memorial Field in Belmar, New Jersey to commemorate Josh Gibson's "legendary 600-foot home run that reached the backyard of the Belmar Post Office," which could be the longest home run ever witnessed. Since the first game of the National Negro Baseball League that was played on May 2, 1920, the Negro Leagues positively impacted the sport of baseball and, by achieving success on the baseball field, African-American baseball players helped break down color barriers and integrate African-Americans into all aspects of society in the United States.
